End attachments for watch bracelets

ABSTRACT

AN END ATTACHMENT FOR A BRACELET, COMPRISING A FIXED BASE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE END OF THE BRACELET, A HOOK MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE BASE FOR SWIVELLING MOVEMENTS ABOUT AN AXIS NORMAL TO THE SAID PLANE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH AN END OF THE HOOK MEMBER FORMS WITH THE BASE AN ENCLOSED APETURE AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH THE SAID END OF THE HOOK MEMBER IS SPACED AWAY FROM THE BASE TO FORM A GAP IN THE PERIPHERY OF SAID APERTURE, AND A CATCH MOUNTED ON THE BASE AND RESILIENTLY URGED INTO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH, WHEN THE HOOK MEMBER IS IN SAID CLOSED POSITION, THE CATCH ENGAGES A LATCH ON THE HOOK MEMBER TO HOLD SAID MEMBER IN SAID CLOSED POSITION, THE CATCH BEING MOVABLE AGAIN THE RESILIENT FORCE TO RELEASE THE LATCH.

Get. 19, 1971 YUEN SANG POON 3,613,183

END ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCH BRACELETS Filed March 15, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. YUEN din/1N6 POON BY it nu,

Oct. 19, 1971 YUEN SANG POON 3,613,133

END ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCH BRACELETS Filed March 13, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 YUE/V 5M6 POO/V BYWIFpWaL 1N VENTOR.

United States Patent Office Patented Oct. 19, 1971 US. Cl. 24-265 SH 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An end attachment for a bracelet, comprising a fixed base adapted to be secured to the end of the bracelet, a hook member mounted on the base for swivelling movement about an axis normal to the said plane between a closed position in which an end of the hook member forms with the base an enclosed aperture and an open position in which the said end of the hook member is spaced away from the base to form a gap in the periphery of said aperture, and a catch mounted on the base and resiliently urged into a first position in which, when the hook member is in said closed position, the catch engages a latch on the hook member to hold said member in said closed position, the catch being movable against the resilient force to release the latch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most wrist watches, particularly ladies watches, are provided with a pair of opposite lugs for use in connecting the watch to a watch strap. For such purpose, the watch strap is usually provided at each of its free ends with an end ring or end connector for securement to the lugs on the watch itself. End connectors in accordance with the prior art are usually of the type which require a substantial amount of manipulation in connection with the securing thereof to the watch lug. An example of a commonly used end connector in accordance with the prior art is shown in US. Pat. 2,680,274. One of the main disadvantages of the prior art end connectors is that they require the use of tools for the securing operation to the watch lug. It is essentially this disadvantage of existing end connectors which is eliminated in accordance with the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention there is provided an end attachment for a bracelet, comprising a fixed base adapted to be secured to the end of the bracelet, a hook member mounted on the base for swivelling movement about an axis normal to the said plane between a closed position in which an end of the hook member forms with the base an enclosed aperture and an open position in which the said end of the hook member is spaced away from the base to form a gap in the periphery of said aperture, and a catch mounted on the base and resiliently urged into a first position in which, when the hook member is in said closed position, the catch engages a latch on the hook member to hold said member in said closed position, the catch being movable against the resilient force to release the latch.

The catch may have a pair of lugs between which the latch fits when the member is in the closed position.

Preferably, the hook member and the catch are disposed at opposite sides of the base, and the pair of lugs project through an aperture in the base to engage the latch. Conveniently, the edges of the aperture may hold the catch against movement thereof by the hook member.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, the base is mounted on a support plate, a space being formed between the base and the support plate and accommodating the catch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an end attachment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled attachment in the closed position, partly cut away;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of the attachment in the open position;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan views of the attachment secured to the underface of a watch bracelet in the closed and open positions, respectively; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views on the planes 6-6 and 77 of FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the attachment has five components, viz. a support plate 10, catch 11, base 12, hook member 13 and an eyelet type pivot pin 14.

The support plate has flanges 15, 16 along its respective side edges. Flange 15 is formed with a rear tab 17 and a rectangular notch 18 next to the tab, and flange 16 is formed with a front tab 19 and with a rear tab 20 and notch 21 which are similar to tab 17 and notch 18 respectively. The front edge of the support plate has a V-notch 22 and the back edge has an upturned spacing flange 23 which is substantially the same height as the bases of notches 18 and 21.

Base 12 is made from sheet metal and has a projection 26 at its front edge, tongues 27 at its opposite side edges and a down-turned rear edge portion 28. The base also has a circular hole 29 to accommodate pin 14, a rectangular slot 30 and two joggled depressions 31. Beneath the base 12 is the catch 11 which is made from springy sheet metal. The catch has a central boss 33 which is apertured to accommodate the pivot pin 14, and a radially extending arm 34 the end of which is broadened and upturned. The upper edge has two lugs 35, 36, the front corner of lug 36 being chamfered as shown.

Hook member 13 rests on the base 12 and has the tip portion 39 of its hook 38 joggled downwards so that the tip 39 is below the tip of projection 26 in the assembled attachment. The member also has an aperture 40 to accommodate the pivot pin and has a latch 41.

In assembling the attachment, the hollow pivot pin 14 extends through the aligned apertures in the hook member, base and catch, and its lower end is riveted over so that the boss of the catch is clamped to the lower face of the plate. The hook member is rotatable about the pin. The lugs 35, 36 of the catch project through the slot 30, so that the catch cannot rotate about the pin, and the latch 41 of the hook member fits between the lugs as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. This sub-assembly is now secured to the support plate 14 by engaging tongues 27 of the base in the notches 1 8, 21 in the support plate, and bending the tabs 17, 19 and 20 over the base. Tabs 17 and 20 engage in depressions 31, and the tip of spacing flange 23 rests against the under face of the base.

When the latch 41 is between lugs 35 and 36 the hook 38 forms with the projection 26 of base 12 an enclosed aperture 43. By depressing the lugs as shown in FIG. 7, thus bending the spring arm 34 of the catch, the latch is freed and the hook member can be swivelled into the open position shown in FIG. 5. The chamfer on lug 36 of the catch enables the latch to depress the catch as the hook member is pushed into its closed position.

In the illustrated arrangement, the underside of the support plate as it is shown in the drawings is soldered or welded to the underside of the end of a watch strap 46, and the hook 38 of the attachment extends through a pair of slots in a rigid loop 47 on a watch casing 48. When the attachment is in the open position the hook can be disengaged from these slots.

Among other advantages, the illustrated attachment can be removed and replaced without deforming any of its components, thus removing the risk of fracture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An end attachment for a bracelet, comprising a fixed base adapted to be secured to the end of the bracelet, a hook member mounted onto one side of the base for swivelling movement about an axis normal to the said plane between a closed position in which an end of the hook member forms with the base an enclosed aperture and an open position in which the said end of the hook member is spaced away from the base to form a gap in the periphery of said aperture, and a catch mounted onto the opposite side of the base and having lug means resiliently urged through an aperture in the base into a first position in which, when the hook member is in said closed position, the lug means engage a latch on the hook member to hold said member in said closed position, the lug means being movable against the resilient force to release the latch.

2. An end attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lug means comprise a pair of lugs between which the latch fits when the member is in the closed position.

3. An end attachment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edges of the aperture hold the catch against movement thereof by the hook member.

4. An end attachment as claimed in claim 3 wherein the catch comprises a spring leaf element secured by one end to the base and having the lugs formed at its other end.

5. An end attachment as claimed in claim 4, wherein said one end of the Spring leaf element is clamped to the 4 base by a pivot pin which provides the swivel mounting of the hook member on the base.

6. An end attachment as claimed in claim 5, wherein an eyelet constitutes the pivot pin.

7. An end attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a projection extending in the same general plane as and in a direction to form a continuation of the bracelet, said end of the hook cooperating with the projection to form said aperture.

, 8. An end attachment for a bracelet, comprising a fixed base adapted to be secured to the end of the bracelet, a hook member mounted on the base for swivelling movement about an axis normal to the said plane between a closed position in which an end of the hook member forms with the base an enclosed aperture and an open position in which the said end of the hook member is spaced away from the base to form a gap in the periphery of said aperture, and a catch mounted on the base and resiliently urged into a first position in which, when the hook member is in said closed position, the catch engages a latch on the hook member to hold said member in said closed position, the catch being movable against the resilient force to release the latch, and a support plate mounting said base, a space being formed between the base and the support plate and accommodating the catch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 355,474 1/1887 Rouse et a1 24-241 PS X 1,369,647 2/1921 Gendron 24-241 CH 1,618,321 2/1927 Woods 24-241 PS 2,614,307 10/1952 Kostka 24241 WB 2,896,289 7/1959 Rodriguez 24265 SH X 3,405,966 10/1968 Harley 24-241 PSP X DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 24241 SB 

